Cooling panel for a melter

ABSTRACT

A cooling panel for a melter and method for fabricating the cooling panel are disclosed. In particular, the cooling panel can include first and second outer walls and a plurality of side walls coupled to the outer walls that define an interior space. A plurality of baffles is disposed in the interior space, where projections in the baffles fit into respective openings in the outer walls and can be connected from outside the cooling panel. The cooling panel can be formed by way of welding and/or additive manufacturing, as discussed herein.

This patent application discloses devices and methods for use in glassmanufacturing, and more particularly, devices to provide fluid coolingfor a glass melter.

BACKGROUND

Glass manufacturing often occurs at high temperatures that require theequipment used in the glass manufacturing process to withstand harshconditions. In particular, submerged combustion melting (“SCM”) is aspecific type of glass manufacturing, in which an air-fuel oroxygen-fuel mixture is injected directly into a pool of molten glass. Ascombustion gases forcefully bubble through the molten glass, they createa high-heat transfer rate and turbulent mixing of the molten glass untilit achieves a uniform composition. A typical submerged combustion melterhas a floor and a vertical burner passage extending through the floor. Aburner positioned within the burner passage is submerged in the moltenglass.

In order to withstand the harsh conditions within the melter fortraditional glass manufacturing or SCM, part or all of the melter'sfloor, walls, or roof can be fluid-cooled. A portion of the melter'sfloor, walls, or roof that contacts the molten glass can include arefractory material in order to withstand the high temperatures. Anotherportion of the melter's floor, walls, or roof can include thefluid-cooling.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can beimplemented separately from or in combination with each other.

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, there is a coolingpanel for a melter that includes first and second outer walls and aplurality of side walls coupled to the first and second outer walls,defining an interior space, and a plurality of baffles disposed in theinterior space, where each baffle includes a plurality of projections.Each of the first and second outer walls has a plurality of openings.Respective openings and projections fit together and are connected fromoutside of the cooling panel so that the outer walls and the baffles arefixed together, and the side walls are fixed to the outer walls so thatthe cooling panel is fluid-tight.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided acooling panel for a melter that has first and second outer walls and aplurality of side walls, defining an interior space, and a plurality ofbaffles disposed in the interior space and dividing the interior spaceinto a plurality of rows wherein each row has a width W. Each baffle hasfirst and second longitudinal surfaces and an open transverse surface.Each open transverse surface of each baffle is spaced away from anadjacent side wall by a distance D that is 70% to 80% of the width W ofeach row.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided amethod of forming a cooling panel having some or all of the featuresdiscussed herein. The method includes receiving a plurality of sidewalls, first and second outer walls each having a plurality of openings,and a plurality of baffles each having a plurality of projections;connecting the first and second walls with the plurality of bafflesdisposed between the outer walls; and connecting the side walls to thefirst and second outer walls to fix the sides walls to the outer wallsand so that the cooling panel is fluid-tight.

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, there is a coolingpanel for a melter that includes first and second outer walls and aplurality of side walls coupled to the first and second outer walls,defining an interior space, where the first outer wall includes aplurality of inwardly-facing first grooves, and the second outer wallincludes a plurality of inwardly-facing second grooves parallel with thefirst grooves; and a plurality of baffles disposed in the interior spaceand carried by the first grooves and the second grooves; wherein a firstset of the first grooves and the second grooves extends a length of thecooling panel, and a second set of the first grooves and the secondgrooves partially extends the length of the cooling panel, and whereinthe first set and the second set alternate to create a serpentine fluidflow path in the interior space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure, together with additional objects, features, advantagesand aspects thereof, will be best understood from the followingdescription, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1A is an isometric view of a melter having at least one coolingpanel, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the melter illustrated in FIG. 1A,in accordance with an illustrative aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2A is a side view of a first outer wall of the cooling panelincluded in the melter shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in accordance with anillustrative aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B is a side view of a second outer wall of the cooling panelincluded in the melter shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in accordance with anillustrative aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2C is a side view of a baffle of the cooling panel included in themelter shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in accordance with an illustrativeaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A is an isometric view of the cooling panel included in the meltershown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, illustrated without baffles and with one outerwall removed, in accordance with an illustrative aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3B is a front view of the cooling panel shown in FIG. 3A,illustrated with baffles and with one outer wall removed, in accordancewith an illustrative aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional side view of the cooling panel shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B, showing refractory material disposed on one outer walland a frozen glass layer disposed on the refractory material, inaccordance with an illustrative aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional top view of the cooling panel shown inFIGS. 3A through 3C, showing multiple baffles in the interior space ofthe cooling panel, in accordance with an illustrative aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional front view of an embodiment of the coolingpanel included in the melter shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, where the coolingpanel is fabricated using additive manufacturing, in accordance with anillustrative aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional side view of the cooling panel shown inFIG. 4A illustrating refractory material disposed on one outer wall anda frozen glass layer disposed on the refractory material, in accordancewith an illustrative aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional side view of the cooling panel shown inFIGS. 4A and 4B, where fluid passages in the cooling panel includeinternal features, in accordance with an illustrative aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5A is a front view of an embodiment of the cooling panel includedin the melter shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, where the cooling panel includesa door and frame with at least one wall extension for protecting therefractory material, in accordance with an illustrative aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional side view of the cooling panel shown inFIG. 5A, illustrating the door and frame with a wall extension,refractory material disposed on one outer wall, and a frozen glass layerdisposed on the refractory material, in accordance with an illustrativeaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5C is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the wallextensions shown in FIG. 5B, in accordance with an illustrative aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional front view of the cooling panel included inthe melter shown in FIGS. 1A and B, illustrating one embodiment ofbaffles and fluid passages within the cooling panel, where the distanceD is 55% of the width W, in accordance with an illustrative aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional front view of the cooling panel included inthe melter shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, illustrating one embodiment ofbaffles and fluid passages within the cooling panel, where the distanceD is 75% of the width W, in accordance with an illustrative aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 7A is a side view of a first outer wall of the cooling panelincluded in the melter shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, where the first outerwall includes multiple grooves, in accordance with an illustrativeaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7B is a side view of a second outer wall of the cooling panelincluded in the melter shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, where the second outerwall includes multiple grooves, in accordance with an illustrativeaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7C is a side view of a baffle of the cooling panel included in themelter shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, where the baffle is configured to becarried by the grooves in FIGS. 7A and 7B, in accordance with anillustrative aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8A is an isometric view of the cooling panel included in the meltershown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, illustrated without baffles, with multiplegrooves configured to carry the baffles illustrated in FIG. 7C, and withone outer wall removed, in accordance with an illustrative aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 8B is a front view of the cooling panel shown in FIG. 8A,illustrated with baffles and with one outer wall removed, in accordancewith an illustrative aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8C is a cross-sectional side view of the cooling panel shown inFIGS. 8A and 8B, showing refractory material disposed on one outer walland a frozen glass layer disposed on the refractory material, inaccordance with an illustrative aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8D is a cross-sectional top view of the cooling panel shown inFIGS. 8A through 8C, showing multiple baffles in the interior space ofthe cooling panel, in accordance with an illustrative aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram showing various steps of an illustrativeembodiment of a method for fabricating a cooling panel as shown in FIGS.1A through 3D and 8D; and

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram showing various steps of an illustrativeembodiment of a method for additively manufacturing a cooling panel asshown in FIGS. 4A through 4C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with at least one aspect of the disclosure, a coolingpanel for a glass melter is provided that is better able to withstandthe harsh conditions of the melter than prior cooling panels.

As briefly described in the background, harsh environments within amelter for glass manufacturing, particularly in SCM, can lead to wear,cracking, erosion, and/or failure of the melter's floor, walls, or roof.The melter's floor, walls, or roof can be constructed of panels thatinclude a steel portion and a refractory material portion coupled to thesteel portion, where the refractory portion contacts a molten materialwithin the melter. Temperatures in the melter can be betweenapproximately 1300-1500 degrees Celsius (° C.) or higher. The refractorymaterial portion can better withstand the high temperatures within themelter and may have a thickness in the range of 0.1-3.0 inches,including all ranges, subranges, and values therebetween. However, dueto the harsh conditions, the panels and even the refractory material canbe susceptible to wear, cracking, erosion, and/or failure because of itsdirect contact with the molten material (e.g., molten glass).

Accordingly, a melter having at least one cooling panel is disclosed.Each cooling panel requires less time than conventionally fabricatedpanels to position internal baffles, assemble and weld each panel, andreduces the likelihood of error. Projections on each baffle fit intocorresponding openings in outside walls and can be welded using plugwelds. No fillet welds are required inside the cooling panels becauseeach baffle can be welded from the outside using plug welds. Eachoutside wall, side wall, and baffle can be laser cut with the requiredopenings and projections and require no layout time.

Additionally, each cooling panel can include fluid flow paths that canbe configured to reduce stagnant areas of fluid flow and minimizesurface hot spots on the hot side of each cooling panel. The fluid flowpaths can also be configured to reduce pressure drop of the coolant.Each cooling panel can include an inlet at the bottom and an outlet atthe top, which reduces risk of developing an air pocket in the top ofthe panel. Moreover, each cooling panel can be configured to be the samesize and/or interchangeable, which also allows different configurablelocations for an access door and/or melter exits.

Further, each cooling panel may be fabricated as a single monolithicpart, which can improve conduction heat transfer. When fabricated as asingle monolithic part, each cooling panel can include flow passageswith fluid flow paths optimized for convective heat transfer and forminimizing pressure drop through the cooling panel. The flow passagescan be configured to withstand higher pressure than conventional panels,which allows the use of cooling fluids other than water. Also, the flowpassages may include internal features that can be configured to enhanceheat transfer, which can be done by changing the cross-sectional area ofthe flow path and/or by changing centerline distance between each flowpassage.

FIGS. 1A and 1B depict a melter 10 comprised of multiple cooling panels12 and submerged burners 14 (FIG. 1B), the melter 10 configured formelting and containing molten material 16 (FIG. 1B). The melter 10 caninclude, for example, a glass melter (e.g., a submerged combustionmelter) or melter for other material. The molten material 16 in themelter 10 can typically exist in a liquid or semi-liquid state; however,a portion of the molten material 16 that flows closer to the floors,walls, or roof of the melter 10 can become a solid (or at least a veryviscous state) because of its lower temperature, due to a cooling effectfrom the floors, walls, or roof, than the first portion of the moltenmaterial 16. The solidified material (which can be glass) can comprise asolid or frozen material layer 18 that can be coupled to the floors,walls and roof (e.g., at least one cooling panel 12).

The melter 10 can comprise at least one cooling panel 12 configured toboth provide structure to the melter and to cool a portion of the moltenmaterial 16 and form the frozen material layer 18 coupled to eachcooling panel 12. In a specific embodiment, the floor, the walls, andthe roof of the melter 10 can include interchangeable cooling panels, asdepicted in FIG. 1A. It is contemplated that the melter 10 may becomprised entirely of multiple cooling panels 12 or may comprise onlyone or several cooling panels 12.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2A through 2C, each cooling panel 12 can includea first outer wall 20, a second outer wall 22, and at least one baffle24. FIG. 2A illustrates the first outer wall 20, which includes aperimeter 26 and a plurality of first openings 28. The first outer wall20 is also depicted as including a coolant inlet 30 and a coolant outlet32, although it will be appreciated that the second outer wall 22 mayinstead include the coolant inlet 30 and the coolant outlet 32. Aplurality of side walls 34, 36, 38, 40 can be configured to be coupled(e.g., welded) to the first outer wall 20 around and/or proximate to theperimeter 26 as shown in FIG. 3A. FIG. 2B illustrates the second outerwall 22 having a perimeter 42 and a plurality of second openings 44. Theside walls 34, 36, 38, 40 can also be configured to be coupled (e.g.,welded) to the second outer wall 22 around and/or proximate to theperimeter 42.

The first openings 28 and the second openings 44 are depicted as holesor slots, although other configurations may be included. Even though thefirst openings 28 and the second openings 44 are depicted as having acircular cross-section or as slots, they could also be configured with avariety of cross-sections and/or shapes, including oval, rectangular,square, triangular, other types of polygons, or the like.

As illustrated in FIG. 2C, each cooling panel 12 can include at leastone baffle 24. Each baffle 24 can have a first side 46 with respectivefirst projections 48 and an opposing second side 50 with respectivesecond projections 52. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2C, the first andsecond projections 48, 52 are depicted as tabs extending from both thefirst and second sides 46, 50 of the baffle 24, although the first andsecond projections 48, 52 may be configured in other ways. As depicted,the first projections 48 extend from the first side 46 of the baffle 24and are configured to fit in respective first openings 28 of the firstouter wall 20, and the second projections 52 extend from the second side50 of the baffle 24 and are configured to fit in respective secondopenings 44 of the second outer wall 22. It will be appreciated that theprojections 48, 52 could comprise other configurations, for exampleposts, studs, screws, rivets, slugs, bolts, welds, welded pieces, or thelike.

The openings 28, 44 and the projections 48, 52 can be configured to fittogether (e.g., a loose fit, an interference fit, and so forth) andconnect from outside of the cooling panel 12, requiring no welds (e.g.,fillet welds) within the cooling panel 12. In this way, the first andsecond outer walls 20, 22 and the baffles 24 can be fixed (e.g.,coupled) together, and the side walls 34, 36, 38, 40 can be fixed to thefirst and second outer walls 20, 22 so that the cooling panel 12 isfluid-tight.

Additionally, each baffle 24 can comprise a pair of longitudinalsurfaces including a first longitudinal surface 54 and an opposingsecond longitudinal surface 56. Each baffle 24 can also include an opentransverse surface 58 configured to not be coupled to anything else(e.g., exposed to coolant). While the open transverse surface 58 in FIG.2C is shown at the bottom of the baffle 24, it will be appreciated thatthe open transverse surface 58 could also be located at the top of thebaffle 24.

In the cooling panel 12, the first and second outer walls 20, 22, theside walls 34, 36, 38, 40, and the baffles 24 can define an interiorspace 62 in which the coolant can flow through a serpentine fluid flowpath 60. The baffles 24 function to divide the interior space 62 into aplurality of rows (e.g., row 64), where each row can be parallel with alongitudinal axis A and can have a width W. The width W can be betweenbaffles 24 or between one baffle 24 and an adjacent side wall 36, 40. Inorder to provide a uniform width W for each row 64, the width W betweenbaffles 24 may be the same as the width W between the one baffle 24 andthe adjacent side wall 36, 40.

FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate an embodiment of a cooling panel 12 showing oneouter wall (e.g., first outer wall 20) including side walls 34, 36, 38,40 coupled to the outer wall around a perimeter (e.g., perimeter 26) ofthe outer wall. The plurality of side walls 34, 36, 38, 40, along withthe first outer wall 20 and the second outer wall 22, can define aninterior space 62 with fluid passages 66 through which a coolant canflow. The fluid passages 66 can be aligned and/or correspond with arespective row 64. FIG. 3A illustrates one arrangement of the openings28 in the first outer wall 20, where the openings 28 are arrangedparallel to longitudinal axis A and configured to be coupled withrespective projections 48, 52 of each baffle 24. The second outer wall22 and the baffles 24 are shown removed in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3B illustrates a plurality of baffles 24 coupled to the first outerwall 20, where the first projections 48 are coupled with respectivefirst openings 28. The first outer wall 20, and the side walls 34, 36,38, 40 define a plurality of fluid passages 66 when the second outerwall 22 is also coupled to the baffles 24 and the side walls 34, 36, 38,40. It will be appreciated that the outer wall shown in FIGS. 3A through3D may be either the first outer wall 20 and/or the second outer wall22. Additionally, the second outer wall 22 is shown removed in FIG. 3B.

In manufacturing and/or construction of the cooling panel 12, thecooling panel 12 can be formed so that the first and second openings 28,44 and the projections 48, 52 fit together, respectively, in order tosecure the first and second outer walls 20, 22 to the baffles 24. In anexample, the first and second openings 28, 44 and the projections 48, 52can be held together by clamps until welds have been made and connectedtogether from outside of the cooling panel 12 so that no interior weldsare necessary within the cooling panel 12. Once a baffle 24 has beencoupled to an outer wall, the other of the first and second outer walls20, 22 can include one or more holes that matches the location of thebaffles 24, and the other of the first and second outer walls 20, 22 canbe placed on top of the baffles 24 for welding, for example plug weldingor a weld at the holes, to couple to the baffles 24. The plug weldingwould occur from outside of the cooling panel 12. Subsequently, the sidewalls 34, 36, 38, 40 can be welded, for example fillet welded or weldedalong a joint between two parts at an angle to each other, to the firstand second outer walls 20, 22 to form a fluid-tight cooling panel 12.

With conventional technology, a cooling panel would typically beconstructed such that baffles were welded, for example stitch welded orintermittently welded, along a joint between a respective baffle and oneof the first and second outer walls from within the interior space.These internal welds have been necessary to hold the baffles in placeprior to attaching the first and/or second outer walls.

With the disclosed first and second openings 28, 44 and projections 48,52, the first and second outer walls 20, 22 and the baffles 24 can befitted together without needing to internally weld either of the firstand second outer walls to the baffles 24 before also fitting the otherof the first and second outer walls 20, 22 to the baffles 24. This cansave time and cost in construction. This construction also can reducethe chance for any errors in positioning the first and second outerwalls 20, 22 and the baffles 24 together. All welds can be made fromoutside the cooling panel 12 such that a liquid-tight joint results.Additionally, the first and second outer walls 20, 22 and the baffles 24can be more easily cut, including being laser-cut, to the correctgeometries.

FIGS. 3A through 3D also show the coolant inlet 30 and the coolantoutlet 32 for passing a coolant into and from the cooling panel 12. Inone aspect, the coolant inlet 30 can be located at the bottom portion 68of the cooling panel 12 and the coolant outlet 32 can be located at atop portion 70 of the cooling panel 12. More specifically, the coolantinlet and outlet 30, 32 may both be formed as apertures in at least oneof the first and second outer walls 20, 22 so that the coolant can passthrough the interior space 62, between the baffles 24, and through thefluid passages 66. The coolant can be any type of coolant known in theart, including water, various heat transfer fluids, solvents, solutions,CO₂, ionic fluid, molten salts, or the like.

FIG. 3C illustrates a cross-section view along line 3C in FIG. 3Bshowing a fillet weld 72 between the side walls 34, 36, 38, 40 and thefirst and second outer walls 20, 22 and showing a refractory material 74that may be disposed proximate to and/or coupled to an outer wall (e.g.,the second outer wall 22). At least one form 76 may be coupled to atleast one side wall 34, 36, 38, 40 for assisting in forming therefractory material 74 on the second outer wall 22. The refractorymaterial 74 can be configured to initially contact the molten material16 in the melter 10. As the refractory material 74 is cooled by thecooling panel 12, a portion of the molten material 16 can become solidand/or at least very viscous and can form a frozen material layer 18that can be coupled to the refractory material 74. The frozen materiallayer 18 can protect the refractory material 74 and the cooling panel 12from the corrosive molten material 16.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3C, the cooling panel 12 may include oneor more protrusions 78, for example studs having enlarged heads,extending from the second outer wall 22 that are configured to at leastpartially carry the refractory material 74 that is cast onto the secondouter wall 22. In this way, the one or more protrusions 78 can beembedded into the refractory material 74 to assist in holding therefractory material 74 onto the second outer wall 22. It will beappreciated that the one or more protrusions 78 may include a variety ofconfigurations, for example screws, tabs, posts, rivets, slugs, bolts,welds, welded pieces, or other members that can be formed of anysuitable material known in the art, including steel, various metals,refractory material, or the like.

Additionally, to assist in holding the refractory material 74 on thesecond outer wall 22, the second outer wall 22 can include a first outeredge 80 disposed and extending about the perimeter 42 of the secondouter wall 22 so that the first outer edge 80 extends about therefractory material 74. By using the one or more protrusions 78 and/orthe first outer edge 80, the refractory material 74 can be protected andbetter secured to the second outer wall 22. One of ordinary skill in theart will understand that, in some instances, the refractory material 74,the one or more protrusions 78, and the first outer edge 80 may also beincluded in the first outer wall 20. It will be appreciated that thecooling panel 12 may also be formed without any refractory material 74,the protrusions 78, and/or the first outer edge 80.

In FIG. 3C, on the opposite side of the cooling panel 12 from therefractory material 74, the first outer wall 20 is depicted as having asecond outer edge 82 extending about the perimeter 26. In an embodiment,the second outer edge 82 may include a flange with a plurality ofinternal apertures 84 (e.g., equidistantly spaced). The internalapertures 84 can be formed in order to accommodate bolts, screws,fasteners, or the like, that would secure the first outer wall 20 andthe second outer edge 82 to adjacent cooling panels 12 and/or otherparts of the melter 10. As discussed above, the features of one of thefirst and second outer walls 20, 22 may be switched or additionallyadded to the other of the first and second outer walls 20, 22. Forexample, the second outer edge 82 with the internal apertures 84 couldbe added to or part of the second outer wall 22 and/or first outer edge80.

FIG. 3D illustrates a cross-section view along line 3D in FIG. 3Bshowing an embodiment of a plurality of baffles 24 coupled to the firstouter wall 20 and the second outer wall 22. Additionally, FIG. 3D showsat least one plug weld 86 between the first and second outer walls 20,22 and the baffles 24 from the outside of the cooling panel 12. Therefractory material 74 and the one or more protrusions 78 have beenomitted from the cooling panel 12 shown in FIG. 3D in order to moreclearly see the plug weld(s) 86.

In some implementations, the melter 10 and/or one or more cooling panels12 may include various temperature sensors. For example, one or moretemperature sensors can detect the temperature within the portions ofthe molten material 16, the frozen material layer 18, a surface of acooling panel 12, and/or temperature of the coolant. In otherimplementations, the cooling panel 12 does not include any temperaturesensors for directly measuring the temperature within the portions ofthe molten material 16 nor does it include any temperature sensors fordirectly measuring the temperature of the coolant. In thisimplementation, various pipes, conduits, or the like (not shown) thatcan be adjacent to the cooling panel 12 and that route the coolant mayinclude one or more temperature sensors for detecting and/or measuringthe coolant temperature. The temperature measurements within the variouspipes, conduits, or the like can provide an indirect temperaturemeasurement of the temperature of the coolant when it is in the coolingpanel 12. Of course, it will be appreciated that the cooling panel 12can also be constructed to include various temperature sensors (e.g., athermocouple) that directly detect and measure, for example, thetemperature of the molten material 16, a surface of the molten material16, the frozen material layer 18, the cooling panel 12, and/or thetemperature of the coolant.

The additional embodiments discussed below may be similar in manyrespects to the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 3A through 3D, and likenumerals (e.g., increased by 100, 200, etc.) among the embodimentsgenerally designate like or corresponding elements throughout theseveral views of the drawing figures. Accordingly, the descriptions ofthe embodiments are incorporated into one another, and description ofsubject matter common to the embodiments generally may not be repeatedhere.

FIGS. 4A through 4C illustrate an embodiment of a cooling panel 112 thathas been fabricated using additive manufacturing. As depicted in FIG.4A, the first and second outer walls 120, 122, the side walls 134, 136,138, 140, the baffles 124, the coolant inlet 130, and the coolant outlet132 can all be part of a single monolithic structure 188 so that thereare no welds within the cooling panel 112. As a single monolithicstructure, the cooling panel 112 can be formed as part of a materialbuild up process, layer upon layer, and may not have seams, joints, orthe like therebetween. Additionally, when implemented as a singlemonolithic structure, the first and second outer walls 120, 122, theside walls 134, 136, 138, 140, and the baffles 124 do not requireexternal welds. Additive manufacturing may provide a cooling panel 112with a geometry that may not be possible if other fabrication methods,for example welding, were used.

As shown in FIGS. 4A through 4C, the cooling panel 112 can be additivelymanufactured so that the first outer wall 120, the second outer wall122, the side walls 134, 136, 138, 140, and the baffles 124 definemultiple fluid passages 166 each having a generally circularcross-section, although it will be appreciated that the cross section ofany or each fluid passage 166 may include other configurations andcross-sections (e.g., rectangular, square, and so forth). In theembodiments illustrated in FIGS. 4A through 4C, the cooling panel 112can include a plurality of fluid passages 166 having circular crosssections and a flow path 160 configured in a serpentine pattern. Thefluid passages 166 can be arranged into at least one row 164 parallel toa longitudinal axis A and can have a width W.

In addition to additively manufacturing the first and second outer walls120, 122, side walls 134, 136, 138, 140, and baffles 124, the singlemonolithic structure 188 can also include one or more protrusions 178and/or a first outer edge 180 extending from one of the first and secondouter walls 120, 122, as shown in FIG. 4B. The one or more protrusions178 and/or the first outer edge 180 can be additively manufactured aspart of the cooling panel 112. Additionally, a refractory material 174can either be additively manufactured as part of the single monolithicstructure 188 or can be cast onto the single monolithic structure 188.In either case, it is possible to utilize different materials as part ofthe additive manufacturing process such that the refractory material 174could be different from the rest of the material included in the singlemonolithic structure 188 and yet still be part of the single monolithicstructure 188. It will be appreciated that it is possible to use variousmaterials within the material build up process (e.g., steel, refractory,and so forth). A second outer edge 182 extending about the perimeter ofthe other of the first and second outer walls 120, 122 and forming oneor more apertures 184 can either be additively manufactured as part ofthe single monolithic structure 188 or attached as a separate part tothe single monolithic structure 188.

FIG. 4C depicts a cross-sectional side view of a specific embodiment ofa portion of the cooling panel 112. In this view, the fluid passages 166are shown as a cross section along the line 4B in FIG. 4A. This specificembodiment illustrates where the fluid passages 166 include an internalfeature 190, which can be formed as a part of the single monolithicstructure 188. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4B, the internalfeature 190 may include a central wall or fin. However, it iscontemplated that the internal feature 190 may include other embodimentsor configurations. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4C, theinternal feature 190 can extend parallel to longitudinal axis A andalong the fluid passage 166 within each respective row 164 and candivide each respective fluid passage 166 into multiple portions (e.g.,two portions 192, 194). It is contemplated that the internal feature 190may have a surface that is parallel with respect to the longitudinalaxis A, parallel with respect to longitudinal axis B, or positioned atan angle with respect to longitudinal axis A and/or longitudinal axis B.The internal feature 190 can function to enhance heat transfer betweenthe melter 10 and the coolant by providing additional heat transfersurface area and/or by mixing or otherwise altering the flow pattern ofthe coolant. All or any of the rows 164 or fluid passages 166 mayinclude the internal feature 190. Because the internal feature 190 ispart of the single monolithic structure 188, it can provide good heattransfer because its geometry can be engineered and optimized in a waynot possible through other manufacturing techniques.

During manufacturing by way of additive manufacturing, three-dimensionalprinting, rapid prototyping, or a combination thereof, the cooling panelcan be formed to include the first and second outer walls 120, 122, sidewalls 134, 136, 138, 140, and baffles 124, one or more protrusions 178,first and second outer edges 180, 182, refractory material 174, rows164, and/or internal features 190. In some instances, some of theseparts may not be formed as part of the single monolithic structure 188.By additively manufacturing some or all of these parts of the coolingpanel 112, they can form intricate passages optimized for heat transfer.For example, the cooling panel 112 can be optimized for conductive heattransfer, or direct transfer of kinetic energy. The cooling panel 112can also be optimized for convective heat transfer, or indirect fluidtransfer as warmer fluid rises and cooler fluid falls in a bulk fluid,and/or to minimize the pressure drop within the cooling panel 112.

Additionally, having a cooling panel 112 comprising a single monolithicstructure 188 can allow the various components to withstand greaterpressures and use coolants that may not be possible with othermanufacturing techniques. Some exemplary coolants that may be usedwithin the cooling panel 112 may include super critical carbon dioxide(scCO₂), ionic fluid, molten salts, or the like. Further, the possibleintricate geometries can be optimized to reduce any stagnant coolantareas and/or hot spots within the cooling panel 112, for example aroundthe connections and/or turns from one row 164 to the next. The baffles124 may withstand the internal pressures of the cooling panel 112 betterthrough additive manufacturing as opposed to welding because the maximuminternal pressure for welded baffles may depend on the thicknesses ofthe first and second outer walls and the width between the baffles.

FIGS. 5A-C depict an embodiment of a cooling panel 212 that includes adoor 201 and a frame 203 for the door 201 with at least one wallextension 205 configured to provide protection to the refractorymaterial 274 disposed on the door 201, the frame 203, and/or the coolingpanel 212. The door 201 and/or the frame 203 may include or at least bea portion of the first outer wall 220 and/or the second outer wall 222(e.g., flat inner surface) that is internal to the melter 10. When aconventional melter door is opened and detaches from a surroundingframe, refractory material on the door or frame may crack, chip, break,or otherwise become damaged due to the shearing force of opening thedoor. In order to reduce or eliminate this damage, one or more wallextensions 205 can be formed as a portion of the door 201 and/or frame203. It will be appreciated that the door 201 and frame 203 may includeany other type of opening for the melter 10, including an access point,hatch, or the like.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, a side view of the cooling panel 212illustrates the door 201 housed by or disposed within the frame 203,which is further disposed in the cooling panel 212. In some instances,the first outer wall 220 may comprise the frame 203. The door 201 andframe 203 can be manufactured and constructed in accordance with anyaspect of the disclosure, including welding, attaching, and/or additivemanufacturing. The door 201 and frame 203 can include all or any of theparts discussed herein in the various other aspects of the cooling panel12, 112, 212. Additionally, at least one coolant inlet 230 a, 230 b andat least one coolant outlet 232 a, 232 b may be disposed as a portion ofthe cooling panel 212 and/or the door 201.

FIG. 5B illustrates a cross section view of the cooling panel 12 alongline 5B in FIG. 5A showing the door 201, the frame 203, refractorymaterial 274 disposed on the door 201 and frame 203, protrusions 278,and wall extensions 205 that extend beyond a surface of the second outerwall 222. The wall extensions 205 can include a wall that is integrallyformed with and/or coupled to the door 201 and/or the frame 203. Eachwall extension 205 can perpendicularly extend beyond a plane of thesecond outer wall 222 and along a length of the refractory material 274to protect the refractory material 274 from damage from opening the door201. The wall extension(s) 225 may extend along at least a portion of aperimeter of the door 201, the frame 203, and/or at least a portion ofthe refractory material 274. The wall extension 205 can be formed of thesame or similar material as the first and/or second outer walls 224, 226(e.g., steel or the like) and can extend beyond the second outer wall222 any length desired (e.g., 0.25-2.0 inches). A castable refractorymaterial 274 can be coupled to the second outer wall 222 using, forexample, protrusions 178. FIG. 5C illustrates an enlarged view of circleSC in FIG. 5B.

Each wall extension 205 serves to provide protection to the refractorymaterial 274 when the door 201 is opened. By protecting the refractorymaterial 274, the one or more wall extensions 205 reduce cost anddowntime of the melter 10 because repair time of damaged refractory isprevented and/or minimized.

With general reference to FIGS. 3A-5C, the cooling panel 12, 112, 212can be manufactured such that the rows 64, 164 have a particulargeometry that provides optimal pressures and/or flow rates of thecoolant. Each row 64, 164 can have a width W between a first baffle 24,124 and an adjacent baffle 24, 124. Additionally, each baffle 24, 124can be positioned such that the open transverse surface 58 can be spacedfrom an adjacent side wall 34, 36, 38, 40 by a distance D. The baffles24, 124 can alternate such that one baffle 24, 124 has the respectivedistance D spaced away from a first side wall 34, 38, 134, 138, and anadjacent baffle 24, 124 has the respective distance D spaced away from asecond side wall 34, 38, 134, 138 (e.g., distal from the first sidewall). The distance D between the side walls 34, 38, 134, 138 can bemanufactured such that it is substantially the same between each baffle24, 124 and each respective side wall 34, 38, 134, 138 so that it isapproximately 70% to 80% of the width W of each row 64, 164, includingall ranges, subranges, values therebetween, and endpoints. The range of70% to 80% can be a desirable range for the relationship between thewidth W and the distance D in order to provide desirable pressures,coolant acceleration from one row 64, 164 to an adjacent row 64, 164,and/or flow rates of the coolant within the cooling panel 12, 112, 212.In contrast, conventional cooling panels may be formed with distance Das 55% to 65% of the width W, including all ranges, subranges, valuestherebetween, and endpoints.

FIGS. 6A-B depict a cross-section of a specific configuration for acooling panel 312 a, 312 b derived from a computer simulation usingcomputational fluid dynamics (CFD) that compares a prior cooling panelconfiguration to the cooling panels 12, 112, 212 of the presentdisclosure. For example, FIG. 6A depicts the geometry of a cooling panel312 a having the distance D in the range of 45% to 65% (shown at 55%).The cooling panel 312 a can include side walls 334 a, 336 a, 338 a, 340a, coolant inlet 330 a, coolant outlet 332 a, at least one baffle 324 a,and at least one fluid passage 366 a. The fluid flow path 360 a isdepicted by arrows. FIG. 6B depicts the geometry of a cooling panel 312b with the distance D as 75% of the width W (although the range of 70%to 80% can be used, including all ranges, subranges, valuestherebetween, and endpoints. The cooling panel 312 b can include sidewalls 334 b, 336 b, 338 b, 340 b, coolant inlet 330 b, coolant outlet332 b, at least one baffle 324 b, and at least one fluid passage 366 b.The fluid flow path 360 b is depicted by arrows.

In addition to the features of any or all of the cooling panel 312 bshown, FIG. 6B also depicts that at least some baffles 324 b can have astepped portion 307. The stepped portion 307 may be included in order toaccommodate portions of the cooling panel 312 b in which the coolantwould not flow or flow easily. Each baffle 324 b may contain the samelength of the stepped portion 307 such that the width W is uniformwithin the cooling panel 312 b. Alternatively, the length of the steppedportion 307 can vary such that the width W is not uniform and varieswithin the cooling panel 312 b. By using the geometry of cooling panel312 b discussed above, hot spots within the cooling panel 312 b createdby stagnant flow (e.g., proximate to a turn and/or a corner) can beprevented and/or minimized.

Illustrated in FIGS. 7A through 7C, components of a cooling panel 412are shown that can include a first outer wall 420, a second outer wall422, at least one baffle 424, and at least one groove formed in thefirst outer wall 420 and the second outer wall 422, where the at leastone groove is configured to carry the at least one baffle 424.

FIG. 7A illustrates the first outer wall 420, which may further includea coolant inlet 430 and/or a coolant outlet 432. A plurality of sidewalls 434, 436, 438, 440 can be configured to be coupled (e.g., welded)to the first outer wall 420 around and/or proximate to the perimeter426. Moreover, the first outer wall 420 can include at least one firstgroove 498. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7A, multiple inwardly-facingfirst grooves 498 can be formed in the first outer wall 420, where thefirst grooves 498 can be aligned along longitudinal axis A and can beparallel to each other and/or at least some of the side walls (e.g.,side walls 436, 440). Some of the first grooves 498 can extend a lengthof the first outer wall 420, and some of the first grooves 498 canextend only partially the length of the first outer wall 420. In FIG.7A, the first grooves 498 are shown alternatively between first grooves498 a that extend the full length of the first outer wall 420 and firstgrooves 498 b that extend only partially the length of the first outerwall 420. It will be appreciated that the first grooves 498 may includeother configurations.

FIG. 7B illustrates the second outer wall 422 having a perimeter 442 anda plurality of inwardly-facing second grooves 499, which can correspondwith the first grooves 498 in a respective first outer wall 420. A setof side walls (e.g., side walls 434, 436, 438, 440) can also beconfigured to be coupled (e.g., welded or otherwise attached) to thesecond outer wall 422 around and/or proximate to the perimeter 442.

The second grooves 499 can be formed in the second outer wall 422 andcan be aligned along longitudinal axis A and parallel to each otherand/or some of the side walls (e.g., side walls 436, 440). Some of thesecond grooves 499 can extend the length of the second outer wall 422,and some of the second grooves 499 can extend only partially the lengthof the second outer wall 420. In FIG. 7B, the second grooves 499 areshown alternating between second grooves 499 a that extend the fulllength of the second outer wall 422 and second grooves 499 b that extendonly partially the length of the second outer wall 422. It will beappreciated that the second grooves 499 may include otherconfigurations.

As illustrated in FIG. 7C, each cooling panel 412 can include at leastone baffle 424. Each baffle 424 can have a first side 446 and anopposing second side 450. Also, the at least one baffle 424 can comprisea pair of longitudinal surfaces including a first longitudinal surface454 and an opposing second longitudinal surface 456. The at least onebaffle 424 b may also include an open transverse surface 458 configuredto not be coupled to anything else (e.g., exposed to coolant). While theopen transverse surface 458 in FIG. 7C is shown at the bottom of thebaffle 424, it will be appreciated that the open transverse surface 458could also be located at the top of the baffle 424. The at least onebaffle 424 can be configured to be carried by the first grooves 498 andthe second grooves 499.

FIGS. 8A-8D illustrate an embodiment of a cooling panel 412 showing afirst outer wall 420 and side walls 434, 436, 438, 440 coupled to thefirst outer wall 420 around a perimeter 426 of the first outer wall 420.The plurality of side walls 434, 436, 438, 440, along with the firstouter wall 420 and the second outer wall 422, can define an interiorspace 462 with fluid passages 466 through which a coolant can flow in agenerally serpentine fluid flow path 460. The fluid passages 466 can bealigned and/or correspond with a respective row 464. The baffles 424 canfunction to divide the interior space 462 into a plurality of rows(e.g., row 464), where each row can be aligned and parallel with alongitudinal axis A and can have a width W. The width W can be betweenbaffles 424 or between a baffle 424 and an adjacent side wall 436, 440.In order to provide a uniform width W for each row 464, the width Wbetween baffles 424 may be the same as the width W between the onebaffle 424 and the adjacent side wall 436, 440.

FIG. 8A illustrates an embodiment with the first outer wall 420including first grooves 498 and side walls 434, 436, 440 coupled to thefirst outer wall 420. The second outer wall 22 and the baffles 24 areshown removed in FIG. 8A. The baffles 424 may be placed so that they aresecurely carried by the first grooves 498, which, in some instances, mayinclude using welding or an interference fit.

FIG. 8B illustrates a plurality of baffles 424 coupled to the firstouter wall 420 and securely carried by the first grooves 498. The secondouter wall 422 is shown removed in FIG. 8B. The second grooves 499 shownin the second outer wall 422 correspond to and are configured to carryrespective baffles 424 so that the connections between the first outerwall 420, the second outer wall 422, and the side walls 434, 436, 438,440 are at least substantially water tight. It will be appreciated thatthe outer wall shown in FIGS. 3A through 3D may be either the firstouter wall 420 and/or the second outer wall 422.

In manufacturing and/or construction of the cooling panel 412, thecooling panel 412 can be formed so that the first grooves 498 and thesecond grooves 499 are configured to correspond with and carry thebaffles 424, respectively, in order to secure the first and second outerwalls 20, 22 to the baffles 24. In some implementations, the baffles 424may be placed before the second outer wall 422 is coupled to the sidewalls 434, 436, 438, 440. In other implementations, the first outer wall420 and the second outer wall 422 may be coupled to the side walls(e.g., side walls 434, 436, 440) and one side wall (e.g., side wall 438)may not yet be coupled to the first outer wall 420 and the second outerwall 422. In this implementation, the baffles 424 may be positionedbetween the first outer wall 420 and the second outer wall 422 byinserting each baffle 424 into the side of the cooling panel 412 wherethe side wall 438 is not yet coupled. The baffles 424 can be inserted orslid into a respective first groove 498 and a corresponding secondgroove 499 until the baffle 424 reaches the end of the respective firstgroove 498 and second groove 499 and/or the side wall 434. The side wall(e.g., side wall 438) may then be coupled to the first outer wall 420,the second outer wall 422, and side walls 436, 440, and the baffles 424can form the serpentine fluid flow path 460. It will be appreciated thatother arrangements and fluid flow paths may be implemented other than aserpentine-type configuration. The cooling panel 412 may also includethe coolant inlet 430 and the coolant outlet 432 for passing a coolantinto and from the cooling panel 412.

FIG. 8C illustrates a cross-section view along line 8C in FIG. 8Bshowing the first outer wall 420 and the second outer wall 422 coupledto the side walls 434, 436, 438, 440 and showing a refractory material474 configured to initially contact molten material 16 in the melter 10,upon which a portion of the molten material 16 can become solid and/orat least very viscous and can form a frozen material layer 18 on therefractory material 474. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 3C, the coolingpanel 412 may include one or more protrusions 478, a first outer edge480, and/or a second outer edge 482 including a flange with a pluralityof internal apertures 484 (e.g., equidistantly spaced). As discussedabove, the features of one of the first and second outer walls 420, 422may be switched or additionally added to the other of the first andsecond outer walls 420, 422.

FIG. 8D illustrates a cross-section view along line 8D in FIG. 8Bshowing an embodiment of the cooling panel 412 with a plurality ofbaffles 424 coupled to the first outer wall 420 and the second outerwall 422 and disposed in and carried by the first grooves 498 and thesecond grooves 499. The refractory material 474 and the one or moreprotrusions 478 have been omitted from the cooling panel 412 shown inFIG. 8D.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a method 500 for manufacturing and/orfabricating a cooling panel 12. For purposes of illustration andclarity, method 500 will be described in the context of the melter 10and cooling panels 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 described above and generallyillustrated in FIGS. 1A through 8D. It will be appreciated, however,that the application of the present methodology is not meant to belimited solely to such an arrangement, but rather method 500 may findapplication with any number of arrangements.

Method 500 can include a step 502 of receiving a plurality of side walls34, 36, 38, 40, first and second outer walls 20, 22 each having aplurality of first and second openings 28, 44, respectively, and aplurality of baffles 24 each having a plurality of projections 48, 52.Second, the method 400 can include a step 504 of connecting the firstand second openings 28, 44 and projections 48, 52 together,respectively, from outside of the cooling panel 12 so that the baffles24 are disposed between the first and second outer walls 20, 22.Subsequently, the method 500 can include a step 506 of connecting theside walls 34, 36, 38, 40 to the first and second outer walls 20, 22 sothat the cooling panel 12 is fluid-tight. This method may not includeforming any interior welds within the cooling panel 12, and especiallynot before the step of connecting the first and second openings 28, 44and projections 48, 52 together.

More specifically, the method 500 can include the first and secondopenings 28, 44 including slots, and the projections 48, 52 includingtabs, so that a plurality of first projections 48 extend from the firstside 46 of each baffle 24 to fit in the openings 28 of the first outerwall 20 and so that a plurality of projections 52 extend from the secondside 50 of each baffle 24 to fit in the openings 44 of the second outerwall 22. Subsequently, the first and second openings 28, 44 and therespective projections 48, 52 can be plug welded together, respectively,from outside of the cooling panel 12. Further, the side walls 34, 36,38, 40 can be fillet welded to both of the first and second outer walls20, 22, also from outside the cooling panel 12.

Next, the method 500 may include a step 508 of attaching the coolantinlet and outlet 30, 32 to one of the first and/or second outer walls20, 22 so that the coolant inlet 30 is attached to the bottom portion 68of the cooling panel 12, and the coolant outlet 32 is attached to thetop portion 70 of the cooling panel 12. By attaching the coolant inlet30 to the bottom portion 68 (e.g., a bottom corner), the coolant can befed into the bottom portion 68 and forced or pumped upwards within thecooling panel 12 and through the fluid flow path 60 so that it exits atthe top portion 70 (e.g., a top corner). This flow pattern can reducethe risk of developing an air pocket at the top portion 70, whichotherwise might occur if the coolant started at the top portion 70 andflowed downward by way of gravity and/or pumping. Such an air pocket canexpand over time and eventually cause the cooling panel 12 to operateinefficiently, develop cracks or breaks, and/or otherwise require repairor replacement. Reducing the risk of developing an air pocket can alsoreduce the pressure drop of the coolant within the cooling panel 12 andassist in a more uniform and continuous coolant flow rate.

The method 500 may include a step 510 of forming the one or moreprotrusions 78 on one of the first and second outer walls 20, 22 (e.g.,the second outer wall 22). The method 500 may also include a step 512 ofdisposing and/or casting the refractory material 74 onto the one or moreprotrusions 78 so that the one or more protrusions 78 are embedded intothe refractory material 74. As discussed above, the one or moreprotrusions 78 can assist in holding the refractory material 74 to theone of the first and second outer walls 20, 22 and/or in protecting therefractory material 74 from cracking, chipping, breaking, or otherwisebecoming damaged during use of the melter 10.

Optionally, the method 500 may include the step 514 of attaching one ormore forms 96 to at least one side wall 28, 30, 32, 34 of the coolingpanel 12 to assist in disposing the refractory material 74 on to one ofthe first and second outer walls 20, 22. Once the one or more forms 96are attached to the respective side walls, the method 500 may includethe step 512 of disposing and/or casting the refractory material 74 ontothe one or more protrusions 78 so that the one or more protrusions 78are embedded into the refractory material 74. After the refractorymaterial 74 is solidified or otherwise set, the method 500 may furtherinclude the step 516 of removing the one or more forms 96 from the atleast one side wall 28, 30, 32, 34 of the cooling panel 12. In this way,the forms 96 are not a permanent part of the cooling panel 12, butrather part of an intermediate structure of the cooling panel 12, andsimply assist in its construction. The optional first and second outeredges 80, 82 can also be attached as part of the construction, havingany or all of the features discussed herein.

As shown in FIG. 10, another method 600 of manufacturing andconstructing the cooling panel 112 can include additive manufacturing ora similar process. Additive manufacturing can include a process by whichthree-dimensional structures are created, typically layer upon layer, tobuild up material to a desired geometry. For example, a step 602 caninclude forming the cooling panel 112 using additive manufacturing,three-dimensional printing, rapid prototyping, or a combination thereof.

Because the desired geometry is created through this build up process,it is possible to create three dimensional structures having geometriesthat are not feasible and/or otherwise possible through other types ofmanufacturing, including welding various parts together, for example thecooling panel 112 illustrated in FIGS. 4A through 4C. The final geometrycreated can be a single monolithic structure that does not include anywelds, seams, or other joint areas between parts. Some examples ofadditive manufacturing include three dimensional (3D) printing, rapidprototyping, powder bed fusion, sheet lamination, directed energydeposition, or a combination thereof. It will be appreciated that thefinal geometry can include various parts that are not additivelymanufactured and/or are not part of the single monolithic structure.These parts can be formed using traditional manufacturing techniques,such as cutting and/or welding, while other parts are additivelymanufactured using the material build up process.

It will be appreciated that the cooling panel 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 canbe included in any part of the melter 10, and there can be as manycooling panels 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 as desired. In one aspect, themelter 10 includes ten cooling panels 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 that areidentical. Having multiple identical cooling panels 12, 112, 212, 312,412 allows the advantage of easier manufacturing of at least a portionof the cooling panels 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 within the melter 10. Itwill be appreciated that all cooling panels 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 inthe melter 10 could be identical to each other. Additionally, the melter10 can also include more cooling panels 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 that aresimilar, but not identical, to each other. In one aspect, the melter 10includes fourteen cooling panels 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 in addition tothe ten identical cooling panels 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 that are inaccordance with various aspects of this disclosure; however, each of thefourteen cooling panels 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 are unique to any othercooling panels 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 within the melter 10 in some way.It will be appreciated that all cooling panels 12, 112, 212, 312, 412 inthe melter 10 could be similar, but not identical, to each other.

The disclosure has been presented in conjunction with severalillustrative embodiments, and additional modifications and variationshave been discussed. Other modifications and variations readily willsuggest themselves to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view ofthe foregoing discussion. For example, the subject matter of each of theembodiments is hereby incorporated by reference into each of the otherembodiments, for expedience. The drawings are not necessarily shown toscale. The disclosure is intended to embrace all such modifications andvariations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appendedclaims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A cooling panel for a melter, comprising:first and second outer walls and a plurality of side walls coupled tothe first and second outer walls, defining an interior space, where eachof the first and second outer walls have a plurality of openings; arefractory material; one or more protrusions on one of the first andsecond outer wall, wherein the protrusions include studs extending awayfrom the first or second outer wall and terminating in enlarged headsembedded into the refractory material; and a plurality of bafflesdisposed in the interior space, where the baffles include a plurality ofprojections; wherein respective openings and projections fit togetherand are connected from outside of the cooling panel so that the outerwalls and the baffles are fixed together, and the side walls are fixedto the outer walls so that the cooling panel is fluid-tight.
 2. Thecooling panel of claim 1, wherein the cooling panel does not includeinterior welds inside the cooling panel.
 3. The cooling panel of claim1, wherein at least one of the baffles has a first side and a secondside, and the respective projections for each baffle extend from both ofthe first and second sides so that a plurality of first projectionsextend from the first side to fit in respective first openings of theplurality of openings of the first outer wall, and a plurality of secondprojections extend from the second side to fit in respective secondopenings of the plurality of openings of the second outer wall.
 4. Thecooling panel of claim 1, wherein the side walls, outer walls, andbaffles form a serpentine flow path for passing a coolant within theinterior space.
 5. The cooling panel of claim 1, wherein the coolingpanel has a bottom portion and a top portion and includes a coolantinlet at the bottom portion and a coolant outlet at the top portion forpassing a coolant.
 6. The cooling panel of claim 1, wherein the coolingpanel does not include a temperature sensor.
 7. The cooling panel ofclaim 1, further comprising a first outer edge extending about aperimeter of one of the first and second outer walls so that the firstouter edge extends about the refractory material.
 8. The cooling panelof claim 7, further comprising a second outer edge extending about aperimeter of the other of the first and second outer walls wherein thesecond outer edge forms one or more internal apertures.
 9. The coolingpanel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of baffles divides the interiorspace into a plurality of rows.
 10. The cooling panel of claim 1,further comprising refractory material extending from the second outerwall, and wherein the cooling panel includes a door and a frame for thedoor.
 11. The cooling panel of claim 10, further comprising one or morewall extensions extending from at least one of the door or frame beyondthe second outer walls and at least partially surrounding a portion ofthe refractory material.
 12. The cooling panel of claim 1, wherein theprojections of the baffles are welded from outside of the cooling panel.13. The cooling panel of claim 12, wherein the projections of thebaffles are plug welded.
 14. The cooling panel of claim 1, wherein atleast some of the baffles have lengths shorter than that of the firstand second outer walls.
 15. A method of forming a cooling panel for amelter, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of side walls,first and second outer walls each having a plurality of openings, and aplurality of baffles each having a plurality of projections; connectingthe first and second outer walls with the plurality of baffles disposedbetween the outer walls, where the projections are inserted throughrespective openings; connecting the side walls to the first and secondouter walls to fix the sides walls to the outer walls and so that thecooling panel is fluid-tight; forming one or more protrusions on one ofthe first and second outer walls; and disposing refractory material ontothe one or more protrusions of the one of the first and second outerwalls so that the one or more protrusions are embedded into therefractory material.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method doesnot include forming interior welds within the cooling panel.
 17. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the plurality of baffles includes eachbaffle having a first side and a second side, and the respectiveprojections for each baffle extend from both of the first and secondsides so that a plurality of first projections extend from the firstside to fit in respective first openings of the plurality of openings ofthe first outer wall, and a plurality of second projections extend fromthe second side to fit in respective second openings of the plurality ofopenings of the second outer wall.
 18. The method of claim 15, whereinthe step of connecting the side walls includes fillet welding the sidewalls to both of the first and second outer walls.
 19. The method ofclaim 15, further comprising attaching a coolant inlet and a coolantoutlet to one of the first and second outer walls for passing a coolantand so that the coolant inlet is attached to a bottom portion of the oneof the first and second outer walls and the coolant outlet is attachedto a top portion of the one of the first and second outer walls.
 20. Themethod of claim 15, further comprising: attaching one or more forms toat least one side wall of the plurality of side walls; carrying out thedisposing refractory material step; and removing the one or more formsfrom the at least one side of the plurality of side walls.
 21. Themethod of claim 15, further comprising: welding the projections of thebaffles from outside of the cooling panel.
 22. The method of claim 21,wherein the projections of the baffles are plug welded.
 23. The methodof claim 15, further comprising providing at least some of the baffleswith lengths shorter than that of the first and second outer walls. 24.The method of claim 15, wherein the protrusions include studs extendingaway from the first or second outer wall and terminating in enlargedheads embedded into the refractory material.
 25. A cooling panelproduced by the method of claim
 15. 26. A cooling panel for a melter,comprising: a first outer wall having a first interior surface, a firstexterior surface, and first openings extending through the first outerwall between the first interior and exterior surfaces; a second outerwall having a second interior surface facing the first interior surfaceof the first outer wall, a second exterior surface, and second openingsextending through the second outer wall between the second interior andexterior surfaces; a plurality of side walls welded to the first andsecond outer walls and, together with the first and second outer walls,defining an interior space of the cooling panel; a refractory material;one or more protrusions on one of the first and second outer wall,wherein the protrusions include studs extending away from the first orsecond outer wall and terminating in enlarged heads embedded into therefractory material; and a plurality of baffles disposed in the interiorspace, wherein at least one of the plurality of baffles has a first sideand a second side, and projections extending from the first and secondsides so that a plurality of first projections extend from the firstside to fit in the first openings of the first outer wall, and aplurality of second projections extend from the second side to fit inthe second openings of the second outer wall, and wherein the bafflesare welded to the first and second outer walls from outside of thecooling panel at the projections.
 27. The cooling panel of claim 26,wherein the cooling panel does not include interior welds connecting thebaffles to the outer walls.
 28. The cooling panel of claim 26, furthercomprising: the refractory material being carried by the first outerwall; a first outer edge extending about a perimeter of the first outerwall so that the first outer edge extends about the refractory material;and a second outer edge extending about a perimeter of the second outerwall, wherein the second outer edge includes one or more apertures. 29.The cooling panel of claim 26, wherein the projections of the bafflesare plug welded.
 30. The cooling panel of claim 26, wherein at leastsome of the baffles have lengths shorter than that of the first andsecond outer walls.